New statistics show that an estimated 216 homeless people died in 2019. Urgent action must be taken to end homelessness, address its causes and strengthen protections for tenants faced with homelessness.
Homelessness
“Tenants were already being driven into poverty by unaffordable rents before the pandemic, but the situation is now beyond repair, and we need to undo the damage that has already been done before we start to talk about stabilising things.”
Gordon Maloney: “The Scottish Government had multiple opportunities to freeze rents over the course of the pandemic, but they rejected all of them”
The Unsuitable Accommodation Order, which was due to be extended to all homeless people in order to prevent them being housed in unsuitable temporary accommodation for longer than a week, has been delayed for the third time. It now won’t be implemented until June 2021.
Scottish government delays additional protections for homeless people – again.
The Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland has raised concerns that the end of the furlough scheme this month will increase the risk of evictions and homelessness, with the Job Support Scheme not providing a sufficient safety net.
Scotland Will “Never Forgive” End of Furlough Scheme Causing Homelessness
Shelter Scotland have released a report calling for an increase in the amount of social housing promised by the Scottish Government – to the equivalent of an additional house built every day for the next five years.
Scotland Needs 37,100 Social Homes to Meet Demand
“This experience is an opportunity to reach out to those forgotten by the system and allow an essential feeling to resurface: human dignity.”
‘Things should always be like this’: Inside the European Parliament’s shelter for women
“It’s hard to see now what is going to prevent a tidal wave of evictions sweeping people into homelessness services” – Director of Shelter Scotland.